Waste liquid receptacle, waste liquid reservoir and waste liquid suction system

Abstract

A waste liquid receptacle includes first and second cover members for covering first and second openings, respectively. The first cover member is made of a material that is configured to: (i) be plastically deformed upward by a first suction force in a state where a second negative pressure is generated in an upper space; and (ii) plastically deform downward by a depressing force against the first cover member downward in a state where an openable and closable lid is open and the second negative pressure is released. The second cover member is made of a material that is configured: (i) not to be plastically deformed by a second suction force in a state where a first negative pressure is generated in a waste liquid receipt space; and (ii) to be broken without being plastically deformed when a depressing force is applied to the first cover member.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A waste liquid receptacle configured to be housed in a receptacle housing, the receptacle housing including a housing body having an upper opening that opens upward, and an openable and closable lid supported by the housing body so as to be capable of opening and closing the upper opening, the waste liquid receptacle being capable of receiving a waste liquid, the waste liquid receptacle comprising:
 a cylindrical body configured to be disposed in the housing body and having an opening on an upper side of the cylindrical body; 
 a receptacle lid joined to an upper end of the cylindrical body, configured to define an upper space between the receptacle lid and the openable and closable lid on the upper side of the cylindrical body, and defining a waste liquid receipt space for receiving the waste liquid which has been sucked by a first negative pressure generated in the waste liquid receipt space by communicating with the upper space in cooperation with the cylindrical body on a lower side of the upper space; and 
 a waste liquid treatment agent storage portion disposed on the receptacle lid, the waste liquid treatment agent storage portion being configured to store a waste liquid treatment agent for treating the waste liquid which has been received in the waste liquid receipt space, wherein the waste liquid treatment agent storage portion includes: 
 a storing storage body having a first opening facing the upper space and a second opening facing the waste liquid receipt space, the storage body defining a treatment agent storage space for storing the waste liquid treatment agent between the first opening and the second opening; 
 a first cover member joined to the storage body so as to cover the first opening; and 
 a second cover member jointed to the storage body so as to cover the second opening, 
 wherein: 
 the first cover member is made of a material that is configured to: (i) be plastically deformed upward by a first suction force from the treatment agent storage space to the upper space in a state where a second negative pressure is generated in the upper space; and (ii) plastically deform downward by a depressing force against the first cover member downward in a state where the openable and closable lid is open and the second negative pressure in the upper space is released; and 
 the second cover member is made of a material that is configured: (i) not to be plastically deformed by a second suction force from the treatment agent storage space to the waste liquid receipt space in a state where the first negative pressure is generated in the waste liquid receipt space; and (ii) to be broken without being plastically deformed when the depressing force is applied to the first cover member. 
 
     
     
       2. The waste liquid receptacle according to  claim 1 , wherein the second cover member is configured to restrict passing of the waste liquid which has been received in the waste liquid receipt space toward the treatment agent storage space. 
     
     
       3. The waste liquid receptacle according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second opening has an opening area which is smaller than an opening area of the first opening; and 
 the first cover member has a press position guide portion which is configured to serve as a mark of a position at which the depressing force is to be applied, the press position guide portion being disposed above the second opening. 
 
     
     
       4. The waste liquid receptacle according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage body is configured to protrude toward a waste liquid receipt space side with respect to the upper end of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
       5. The waste liquid receptacle according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing body is cylindrical. 
     
     
       6. The waste liquid receptacle according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing body is a flat-bottomed container. 
     
     
       7. The waste liquid receptacle according to  claim 1 , wherein the first cover member has a laminated structure that includes: a lower layer film joined to the storage body so as to cover the first opening; and an upper layer film adhesively laminated to the lower layer film. 
     
     
       8. The waste liquid receptacle according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the upper layer film is configured to be peeled off from the lower layer film; and 
 the lower layer film has a plurality of through holes. 
 
     
     
       9. A waste liquid reservoir comprising:
 a receptacle housing including: a housing body having an upper opening that opens upward; and an openable and closable lid supported by the housing body so as to be capable of opening and closing the upper opening; and 
 a waste liquid receptacle housed in the receptacle housing and being capable of receiving a waste liquid, 
 wherein the waste liquid receptacle includes: 
 a cylindrical body configured to be disposed in the housing body and having an opening on an upper side of the cylindrical body; 
 a receptacle lid joined to an upper end of the cylindrical body, configured to define an upper space between the receptacle lid and the openable and closable lid on the upper side of the cylindrical body, and defining a waste liquid receipt space for receiving the waste liquid which has been sucked by a first negative pressure generated in the waste liquid receipt space by communicating with the upper space in cooperation with the cylindrical body on a lower side of the upper space; and 
 a waste liquid treatment agent storage portion disposed on the receptacle lid, the waste liquid treatment agent storage portion being configured to store a waste liquid treatment agent for treating the waste liquid which has been received in the waste liquid receipt space, 
 wherein the waste liquid treatment agent storage portion includes: 
 a storage body having a first opening facing the upper space and a second opening facing the waste liquid receipt space, the storage body defining a treatment agent storage space for storing the waste liquid treatment agent between the first opening and the second opening; 
 a first cover member joined to the storage body so as to cover the first opening; and 
 a second cover member jointed to the storage body so as to cover the second opening, 
 wherein: 
 the first cover member is made of a material that is configured to: (i) be plastically deformed upward by a first suction force from the treatment agent storage space to the upper space in a state where a second negative pressure is generated in the upper space; and (ii) plastically deform downward by a depressing force against the first cover member downward in a state where the openable and closable lid is open and the second negative pressure in the upper space is release; and 
 the second cover member is made of a material that is configured: (i) not to be plastically deformed by a second suction force from the treatment agent storage space to the waste liquid receipt space in a state where the first negative pressure is generated in the waste liquid receipt space; and (ii) to be broken without being plastically deformed when the depressing force is applied to the first cover member. 
 
     
     
       10. The waste liquid reservoir according to  claim 9 , wherein the housing body is cylindrical. 
     
     
       11. The waste liquid reservoir according to  claim 9 , wherein the housing body is a flat-bottomed container. 
     
     
       12. The waste liquid reservoir according to  claim 9 , wherein the openable and closable lid includes a press portion configured to restrict upward plastic deformation of the first cover member in the waste liquid receptacle due to the first suction force accompanying the second negative pressure in the upper space becoming equal to or more than a specified value. 
     
     
       13. The waste liquid reservoir according to  claim 12 , wherein the press portion is configured to be brought into contact with the first cover member when the first cover member is plastically deformed by the first suction force accompanying the second negative pressure in the upper space such that the first cover member reaches a predefined height position. 
     
     
       14. A waste liquid suction system comprising:
 the waste liquid reservoir according to  claim 7 ; 
 a suction source; and 
 a suction path portion defining a suction path from a suction starting point portion for sucking the waste liquid to the suction source, 
 wherein: 
 the waste liquid reservoir is disposed between the suction starting point portion and the suction source on the suction path; and 
 the waste liquid reservoir is configured to reserve the waste liquid which has been sucked from the suction starting point portion by the suction source. 
 
     
     
       15. The waste liquid suction system according to  claim 14 , wherein the housing body is cylindrical. 
     
     
       16. The waste liquid suction system according to  claim 14 , wherein the housing body is a flat-bottomed container.